Clothes Are Optional – the blog for Naturist Accommodation UK

Why I’m in love with Vera: A Spanish naturist odyssey

Vera, dear Vera, not the first name most would automatically associate with nudity…I’m thinking: Vera Lynn, Vera Drake or, heaven forbid, Vera Duckworth!

No, the Vera of my naturist dreams is Vera Playa, the nude resort on South East Spain’s Almeria coast. The mere mention of Vera Playa strikes glee and warmth in my naturist soul, especially as I stare out of my window on a gloomy, wet Wednesday afternoon in dear old Blighty.

For me, and thousands of other naturists, Vera Playa is the quintessential naturist resort and is now where my partner and I hope to relocate to permanently later in the year.

But to explain why I have settled on Vera above all other possible candidates for the final resting of my naturist ark, I must first take you back in time, 25 years to be exact.

Yes, this year I am celebrating my very own silver jubilee: 25 years of naturist holiday making!

I’m 46 now but looking back at the first tentative steps of a nervous 21 year old embarking on his first solo naturist holiday, I realise that Spain has been a kind mistress to me.

Back then, as a whippersnapper, I had no naturist friends or partner to share my naturist dream with, but rather than go without the holidays of my dreams, I decided I would holiday solo with only a limited wardrobe in tow.

I needn’t have worried, as soon as I made my debut – naked on the golden sand dunes of Corralejo, Fuerteventura – I felt at peace, natural and free… so what if I was alone, I was having the holiday I wanted.

As we all know, most naturists are friendly, sociable, all-round good eggs…so it wasn’t long before I was making friends.

For some reason I think Spain brings out the best in people. It can’t be just the weather, geographical beauty or the culture.

No, I think Spain is special because of her people. Beautiful, accommodating and non-judgemental the Spanish simply cannot do enough for guests in their country… it’s all so easy, especially for the naturist to do what comes naturally! Shed clothes and soak up the sun and make friends.

For this reason I keep coming back to Spanish territories for my naturist holidays. Be it the Canaries, Balearics or Iberian Peninsula… all have gems of places to be able to enjoy oneself textile-free, heck I even lived in Maspalomas, Gran Canaria for four months living the nude dream one summer!

Greece, France and Croatia to name but a few, all have wonderful naturist possibilities, and I have visited many of them over the years…but I never feel more at home in my own skin than in Spain. We naturists are truly accepted for what we are there. NORMAL.

And so, fast-forwarding some years, I thought to try out Vera Playa. I knew very little of the area, but knew it had a large designated naturist zone, comprising naturist accommodation, hotels, cafés, bars and where it was even possible to walk naked in the street.

This sounded just the ticket to me, so I set off to sunny Spain once more with only my hand luggage for company. I had long stopped caring about holidaying solo as a naturist, as I knew that being a jolly sort of chap, it wouldn’t be long before I would be making friends in Vera Playa.

I fell in love with the place instantly! The biggest positive about Vera Playa as I saw it, was that the nude beach was, and still is, 99.99% naturist. Not only could I walk to the beach nude, but when I got there it wouldn’t suddenly be taken over by textiles.

How many times have we all sat on naturist beaches only for the textile-family-from-hell to set up camp directly next to us…and in the blink of an eye a naturist beach becomes a textile beach… as if they don’t have enough options as it is!

No such problems at Vera… textiles are a very rare, if not extinct, species! The sea is nice and warm and the beach long and sandy with some shingle in places…the atmosphere is wonderful. Family friendly, gay friendly, couples and singles of all ages, all enjoying the sun in peace and harmony…it has a lovely genuine naturist vibe even in high season, people just seem to feel themselves there. And that feel-good sensation warms the cockles and spreads.

Guardia Civil routinely patrol the beach to ensure no undesirables tarnish the experience.

There are naturist chiringuitos (beach bars) for socialising, quieter spots, areas for volleyball and even a petanque (boules) tournament on the beach every Sunday… something for everyone!

Vera Playa is just such a friendly place, the friendliest I have come across on my extensive travels and so I decided to come to this place more. And I did… at least half a dozen times in 3 years!

Now my life has changed, I am single no more and my partner luckily loves Vera Playa as much as I do. Not a day goes by when we don’t think of that beach, those streets, that freedom… but at least we are taking steps to relocate there permanently.

We bought an apartment there last year, on a lovely naturist complex with 2 pools which we already rent out to other naturists and we are hoping for a more substantial naturist-friendly property in Spain later in the year… fingers crossed.

The joy of being based in Spain will be the ability to visit the many naturist treasures on offer throughout her territories and the odyssey can continue… but being beach bums at our beloved Vera Playa will never be far away!

We love meeting new naturist friends so if anyone wants to meet up in Vera Playa or even if you are thinking of coming and want some advice or you want to rent our apartment, please do get in touch! You can contact me via my website www.veraplayavacations.com

"Clothed events for Naturists? Yes. For several reasons. For one thing it is much easier to find locations for informal meetings. More importantly, it is more likely to encourage someone thinking about Naturism to come along and talk about it. It is also our hope that bringing together some of the more independent Naturists in the area will provide the […]